CHAPTER VI
AT GRANDMA SHERWOOD'S
Aside from his threatening face, red with rage, and stormy withindignation, Pompton's terrifying aspect was increased by the chauffeur'scostume which he wore. His goggles were pushed up on his brow, but hiseyes darted vengeance, and the three gypsy women were completely cowed atthe sight of him.
"You shall pay for this outrage!" he exclaimed; "and don't think you willbe let down easy! Kidnapping is a crime that is well punished, and yourpunishment shall be to the full! I shall take these children away now,but don't think you can escape! I will see to that! Where are your menfolks?"
Pompton was a large man, more than six feet high, and heavy inproportion, and as he towered above the frightened gypsy women, theycould find no words to answer him.
"I'll find them for myself!" he exclaimed, and taking the children byeither hand, he hurried them out of the tent.
As Pompton had surmised, the men had run away to the woods, and hiddenthemselves, for no trace of them could be seen. The old basket-maker,too, had disappeared, and there was nothing to prevent their departure.
"Miss Marjorie, you're a wonder!" Pompton exclaimed, as they crossed thelittle bridge and made for the road. "Now, how did you think to shout thevery lungs out of you like that?"
"It was the only thing to do, Pompton; they wouldn't let us run away, sothere was nothing to do but holler. My! but I'm glad you came!"
"Me, too!" cried King. "I felt awful to sit there and not do anything torescue Mops, but I couldn't think of a thing to do. I never thought ofyelling to beat the band!"
"Of course you didn't, King," said Marjorie. "A boy wouldn't do that.And, anyway, you can't screech like I can."
"I didn't suppose anybody could, Miss Marjorie; I'm sure such screamswere never heard before, outside of Bedlam!"
"Well, we're safe now, anyway," cried Marjorie, skipping along gaily byPompton's side; "and here's our dear, blessed car! Oh, King, I'm so gladwe're safe!"
In a reaction of joy, Marjorie threw her arms around her brother's neck,and the tears came to her eyes.
"There, there, Mops," and King patted her shoulders, while there was asuggestion of emotion in his own voice; "it's all right now! Hop in, oldgirl!"
"Yes, hop in, both of you," said Pompton, "and I'll get you back toPelton pretty quick, and then I'll set somebody on the track of thosevillains. They'll not get away!"
The trip to Pelton took but a short time, for Pompton drove as fast asthe law allowed. But even so, they found a very much alarmed groupwaiting for them on the veranda of the little inn.
"Where have you been?" exclaimed Mrs. Maynard, as Marjorie flung her armsaround her mother's neck, and burst into violent sobs. The realizationthat she was safe brought a nervous reaction, and though she had beenplucky and brave in the hour of danger, she now collapsed with emotion.
"I'll tell you all about it," said King, grasping his father's hands."Midget was the bravest, pluckiest girl, and she saved both our lives."
"What!" cried Mr. Maynard, "have you been in danger?"
Marjorie stopped her sobs a moment, and lifted her head from her mother'sshoulder.
"It was P-Pompton saved us! I didn't do any saving,--I only s-screeched!"
"And you screeched good and plenty, Miss Marjorie," said the chauffeur,"which was what saved the day; and, Mr. Maynard, by your leave, I'll takethe car a minute, to see if there's anybody in authority in this village.I've a matter to put in their hands."
Without waiting for further explanation, Pompton whizzed away in the bigcar to find the public officials, and set them on trail of the gypsies.For though unsuccessful, their base attempt at kidnapping ought not to gounpunished.
Kingdon told a straightforward story of all that had happened. UnlikeMarjorie, he was not overcome by emotion, and though somewhat excitedafter the experience they had had, he gave a clear and direct account ofit all.
Mrs. Maynard held Marjorie closer as she heard of the danger they hadbeen in, and Mr. Maynard laid his hand on the shoulder of his tall son,and heartily exonerated him from all blame in the matter.
"I suppose," King said, a little dubiously, "we ought not to have gone onto the camp; but Mops,--I mean, we were both thirsty,--and we thoughtit was a farmhouse."
"Of course you did," said Mrs. Maynard; "you did nothing wrong whatever."
"I did," said Midget, penitently; "after we passed the horrid basket-man,King sort of thought he was a gypsy, and he thought we'd better turnback, but I insisted on going on."
"Nothing of the sort!" exclaimed King. "Mops isn't a bit to blame! I didthink maybe the man was a gypsy,--and I ought to have insisted on goingback."
"Well, well," said Mr. Maynard, "don't strive so hard for the honor ofbeing to blame. It's all over now, and for the present let's forget it,while we eat our luncheon, because it might interfere with our digestion.We're truly thankful to have you back, and we're going to show ourthankfulness by not worrying or lamenting over what might have been."
Mr. Maynard's gaiety, though it was really a little forced, had a goodeffect on the others. For, had he taken a melancholy attitude, they werequite ready to follow suit.
As it was, they all cheered up, and with bright faces followed Mr.Maynard to the dining-room. Kitty slipped her hand in Marjorie's as theywent along. She had said little while the story was being told, but asMarjorie well knew, silence with Kitty was always indicative of deepemotion.
The inn, though modern, was copied after a quaint old plan, and thelow-ceiled, raftered dining-room greatly pleased the children. There wereseats along the wall--something like church pews,--with long tables infront of them. Mr. Maynard had ordered a dainty and satisfying luncheon,and Marjorie and King soon found that thrilling experiences improve theappetite.
Led by Mr. Maynard, the table talk was gay, light, and entertaining; andthough Mrs. Maynard could not quite play up to this key, yet she did herbest, and carefully hid the tremors that shook her as she looked at hertwo older children.
"What became of Minnie Meyer?" asked Marjorie, suddenly, for in thestress of circumstances she had almost forgotten the lame girl.
"I tried my best to persuade her to lunch with us," said Mrs. Maynard,"but she would not do so. She was very shy and timid, and though veryglad to have the ride, she was unwilling to let us do more for her. Shehad many errands to attend to, and she was sure of a ride home, so shesaid we need not worry about her."
"I'm glad she had the ride," said Marjorie, thoughtfully; "and of courseit wasn't her fault that the morning turned out as it did."
"No, it wasn't," said King, "and it wasn't our fault either! It wasn'tanybody's fault; it just happened."
"And now it happens that it's all over," said his father, stillinsistently cheerful, "and the incident is closed, and it's past history,and we've all forgotten it. Have some more chicken, King?"
"Yes," said King, "these forgotten experiences make a fellow terriblyhungry!"
The subject of the morning's disaster was not again referred to, and Mr.Maynard triumphantly succeeded in his determination to eliminate allthought of it.
By two o'clock Pompton was at the door with the car, and they startedgaily off to continue their journey.
Mr. Maynard sat in front with the chauffeur, and if they indulged in somewhispered conversation it was not audible to those in the tonneau.
Midget and King themselves had quite recovered their good spirits, andwere ready to enjoy the ride through the country.
They went rather fast, as they had started a bit later than theyintended, but not too fast to enjoy the scenery or the interesting sceneson either side.
On they went, through towns and villages, past woods and meadows, and upand down moderately high hills. As they neared Morristown, where GrandmaSherwood lived, the hills were higher and the views more picturesque.
It was not yet dusk when they reached Grandma Sherwood's house, and theyfound the wide gate hospitably open for them. They swung into thedriveway, and i
n another moment they saw Grandma and Uncle Steve on theveranda, waiting to welcome them.
The impetuous Maynard children tumbled out of the car all at once, andfairly swarmed upon their relatives.
"Which is which?" cried Uncle Steve. "Kitty has grown as big as Marjoriewas,--and Marjorie has grown as big as King was,--and King has grown asbig as,--as a house!"
"And me growed!" cried Rosamond, not wanting to be left out of thecomparison.
"You're the biggest of all!" exclaimed Uncle Steve, catching the baby upand seating her on his shoulder, so she could look down on all theothers.
"Yes, me biggest of all," she declared, contentedly, as she wound her fatarms around Uncle Steve's neck; "now me go see schickens!"
"Not just now, Rosy Posy," said her mother, "let's all go in the houseand see what we can find there."
Easily diverted, the baby went contentedly with her mother, but themention of chickens had roused in the other children a desire to see thefarmyard pets, and King said: "Come on, Mops and Kit, let's us go and seethe chickens; come on, Uncle Steve."
"Eliza first!" cried Marjorie, remembering the old cook's friendlinesstoward them all; "come on!"
Following Midget's lead, the trio went tearing through the house to thekitchen.
Uncle Steve paused in the library where the others were, and said to hissister, "They're the same Maynard children, Helen, if they are a yearolder. We enjoyed Marjorie last summer, and I know we'll enjoy Kitty thisyear,--but how you can live with them all at once I can't understand!"
"It's habit," said Mrs. Maynard, smiling, "you know, Steve, you can getused to 'most anything."
"It seems to agree with you, Helen, at any rate," said Grandma Sherwood,looking at her daughter's pink cheeks and bright eyes.
Meanwhile, the younger Maynards had reached the kitchen, and were dancinground Eliza, with shouts of glee.
"Are you glad to see me again, Eliza?" asked Marjorie, flinging herselfinto the arms of the stout Irishwoman.
"Glad is it, Miss Midget? Faith, I'm thot glad I kin hardly see ye fergladness! Ye've grow'd,--but I do say not so much as I expicted! ButMasther King, now he's as high as the church shpire! And as fer MissKitty,--arrah, but she's the dumplin' darlin'! Stan' out there now, MissKitty, an' let me look at yez! Och! but yer the foine gurrul! An' it's yethot's comin' to spend the summer. My! but the toimes we'll be havin'!"
It was a custom of the Maynards for one of the children to spend eachsummer at Grandma Sherwood's, and as Marjorie had been there last year,it was now Kitty's turn.
"Yes, I'm coming, Eliza," she said, in her sedate way, "but I'm not goingto stay now, you know; we're all going on a tour. But I'll come back herethe first of June, and stay a long time."
"Any cookies, Eliza?" asked King, apropos of nothing.
"Cookies, is it? There do be, indade! But if yez be afther eatin' thimnow, ye'll shpoil yer supper,--thot ye will! Here's one a piece to ye,and now run away, and lave me do me worruk. Be off with yez!"
After accepting a cookie apiece, the children bounced out the back doorand down into the garden in search of Carter.
"We've come, Carter; we've come!" cried Marjorie, flinging open a door ofthe green-house in which Carter was busy potting some plants.
"You don't say so, Miss Mischief! Well, I'm right down glad to see you!And is this Master King? And Miss Kitty? Well, you all grow like weedsafter a rain, but I'll warrant you're as full of mischief as ever!"
"Kitty isn't mischievous," said Marjorie, who was proud of the sedatemember of the family.
"And it's Miss Kitty who's to spend the summer, isn't it? Well, then, Iwon't have the times I had last year, pulling children up from down thewell,--and picking them up with broken ankles after they slid down theroof! Nothing of that sort, eh?" Carter's eyes twinkled as he lookedat Marjorie, who burst into laughter at reminiscences.
"No, nothing of that sort, Carter; but we're all going to be here for afew days, and we're going to give you the time of your life. Will youtake us out rowing in the boat?"
"I'll go along with you to make sure you don't drown yourself; but Ithink you're getting big enough to do your own rowing. I'm not as youngas I was, Miss Midget, and I'm chock-full of rheumatism."
"Oh, we'd just as lieve row, Carter; King's fine at it, and I can rowpretty well myself."
But Kitty said: "I'm sorry you have rheumatism, Carter; I'll ask Motherto give you something for it."
"Now that's kind and thoughtful of you, Miss Kitty. Miss Mischief, here,would never think of that!" But, as Carter spoke, his eyes restedlovingly on Marjorie's merry face.
"That's so, Carter," she said, a little penitently, "but do you know, Ithink if you did take us rowing, it would limber up your arms so youwouldn't have rheumatism!"
"Maybe that's so, Miss Mischief,--maybe that's so. Anyway, I'll try bothplans, and perhaps it'll help some. But I hear Eliza calling you, soyou'd all better skip back to the house. It's nearly supper time."
With a series of wild whoops, which were supposed to be indicative of thegeneral joy of living, the three Maynards joined hands, with Kitty in themiddle, and raced madly back to the house.
They all tried to squeeze through the back door at once, which proceedingresulted in an athletic scrimmage, and a final burst of kicking humanityinto Eliza's kitchen.
"Howly saints! but ye're the noisy bunch!" was Eliza's greeting, and thenshe bade them hurry upstairs and tidy themselves for supper.